The Gujarat University is setting up a Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Centre for Cyber security Research (SVP-CCR) in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), an MoU for which has been signed.
Planned as a centre of excellence, the SVP-CCR will conduct multidisciplinary scientific and applied research in critical and futuristic technologies related to defence and security. It will be funded by the DRDO with Rs 100 crore for three years, extending its test and evaluation facilities for ongoing research at the centre.
A three-member expert committee was formed that met to formulate objectives and working of the research centre, according to one of the members. The MoU was signed between both the agencies in October 2021 for the SVP-CCR, which will be set up on the top floor of Gujarat University’s upcoming Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Extension and Research and Innovation (CERI) on its campus.
“The centre will take care of future threats to national security and offer technology to protect systems from insilico cyber attacks,” Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor Professor Himanshu Pandya said.
Aimed at collaborative research work in five verticals — IOT, cyber security, malware analysis, cryptocurrency analysis and cyber defence, the centre will engage researchers, faculties, incubators at the GU as well as other institutes, industries, DRDO laboratories and industrial research laboratories. Looking at future requirements, more verticals would be added, with at least 100 researchers working under each vertical, added Pandya.
The DRDO will provide problem statements where students supported by faculty members as principal investigators will work and will be joined by experts and professionals. The centre will be governed by a Governing Council and projects will be reviewed and evaluated by a Technical Expert Committee (TEC). The guidelines state that any change in the MoU will be made with the recommendation of the Governing Council and subsequent approval from the authorities concerned.
